Inside Ukraine's secretive non-nuclear plan to deter Russian aggression

Defense Express reports.

One of the points in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan announced on October 16 is a "non-nuclear strategic deterrence package" proposed for deployment on Ukrainian territory. This package should be sufficient to protect against any military threat from Russia.

This measure is closely linked to the fact that after the war, Ukraine's Armed Forces will be the most experienced, and Ukraine should receive an invitation to NATO now, with full membership to follow. The deterrence package is intended to force Russia to either abandon its aggressive plans or face a "devastating response" that would cripple its war machine.

A secret annex of the plan has been shared with the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Germany, and other countries capable of contributing to this concept. While the exact content remains undisclosed, some educated guesses can be made.

It's important to distinguish between NATO membership and the deployment of real combat units from NATO members on Ukrainian soil, ready to engage from the first moment, as seen with Germany's commitment to defend Lithuania.

This is critical, as NATO's Article 5, the foundation of collective security, states that in case of an armed attack on one member, others will assist with necessary actions, including military force. However, actual involvement in combat depends heavily on the political will of member states.

The idea of "destroying Russia's war machine" refers not only to defeating front-line troops but also to massive strikes on strategic targets, including key economic and industrial sites such as arms factories.

This implies deploying long-range missiles in Ukraine, with ranges exceeding 1,000 kilometers, like Tomahawk cruise missiles or the European Land Cruise Missile project. These missiles, developed by European defense firms, align with the countries listed in the plan.

However, despite their non-nuclear nature, Russia's recent changes to its nuclear doctrine, allowing for nuclear strikes against non-nuclear states that collaborate with nuclear-armed nations, could blur the line between non-nuclear and nuclear deterrence, as these long-range systems might still trigger a nuclear response from Moscow.